SkySafari 6 Pro
4+

Astronomy Guide To Night Sky

Screenshots

Description

SkySafari 6 Pro will revolutionize your astronomical viewing experience. It has the largest database of any astronomy app, includes every solar system object ever discovered, offers unparalleled accuracy, flawless telescope control, Augmented Reality (AR) mode, and provides the very best experience under the stars when you depend on it. Discover why SkySafari 6 Pro is the #1 recommended astronomy app for serious amateur astronomers since 2009.

Here's what's new in version 6:

1) Complete support for iOS 11 and iPhone X. We release regular updates.

2) Clouds and Astronomy. Two words that rarely go together. SkySafari 6 Pro will (optionally) back up all of your observing data in our secure cloud storage and make it easily accessible to multiple devices as well as from our new web interface, LiveSky.com.

3) We Have The Best Stars. Precise, modern and deep. We’ve updated our star catalog to use the latest and greatest, UCAC5 star catalog. If 25 million stars down to 15th magnitude isn’t enough for you, an easy in-app purchase gets you down to 16.5 magnitude and a whopping 100 million stars!

4) We Have The Best Galaxies. The PGC catalog includes galaxies down to 18th magnitude. Want more galaxies? How about 2.6 million more? An in-app purchase gives you access to the largest galaxy database available for your device.

5) Observers First. A redesign of our tools puts the active observer first. Quick access to features like your equipment, observing sites, lists, and observations make it easy and enjoyable to get out, observe, and record your observations. The observing sessions feature lets you collect your observations into groups that span a few hours, or a few nights.

7) Plan It. Make the most of your time under the stars. Our updated planner is a powerful tool that lets you create a list of targets for your observing session with filters like object types, specific time ranges, constellation, catalog, and more. Plan it and get more done.

8) Say It. Ever just wanted to just yell at your device and tell it what to do!? SkySafari 6 adds basic voice control for a wide range of operations. Say “select Jupiter,” “search for Titan,” “center on Polaris” and SkySafari will do the work for you. Yelling optional.

9) Tilt It. Every old astronomy app these days lets your tilt and pan your device to show different parts of the sky, but who else lets you control your telescope that way!? “Tilt to slew” is an optional mode allowing you to keep your eye in the eyepiece, and, using the accelerometers in your device, gently translate the movements of your hands into smooth telescope motion.

10) Share It. SkySafari 6 is more than just a mobile app, it’s a new system to help organize and share your observing experiences. With a free signup, you can see and share your observing data from our web portal, LiveSky.com! Affordable premium memberships add online editing, so you can not only view, but edit your observations, add new observing sites, manage your equipment and more. Finally, (coming soon) you can view, edit and manage your settings files with SkySafari Web, our fully functional web version.

If you haven't used SkySafari 6 Pro before, here's what you can do with it:

What’s New

Version History

6.3.0

Dec 13, 2018

• In the Observation screen you can now display the info for the object or center the object in the main chart.• In the Observations screen, we no longer show sessions without any observations. We also show the number of observations in sessions that do have observations.• When associating an observing list with an observation, we now show all observing lists rather than just those that contain the object. If the chosen list doesn't have that object in it, we give you the option to add it.• There is a new option in the Object Info's more button to show all observing lists containing the object.• In the Date/Time Picker dialog, there is now a "Now" button to set the date/time to the current time.• Improved resizing of H-R Diagram.• Various modifications for compatibility with soon to be released Starry Night 8.• Various stability and performance improvements.

6.2.2

Oct 31, 2018

- Added option to allow rectangular custom fields of view.- In the Scope Display screen, we now show the exit pupil (EP) of a telescope/eyepiece field of view.- Fixed bug where we weren't showing the GAIA extension database as being installed when it was.- Miscellaneous stability improvements.

6.2.1

Oct 14, 2018

- Switched to using the new GAIA DR2 star data rather than UCAC5.- Improved catalog search when using Planner.- Added support native Sync command on NexStar and SynScan hand controllers running the appropriate firmware version. - Added support for setting date/time/location on SynScan controllers.- Improved accuracy of planetary position predictions.- Improved memory usage.- Improvements to syncing data with LiveSky server.- Added Sun to HR-Diagram.- Fixed bug where the AR button was shown on top of the "Current List" button when it was visible.- Fixed bug where you could get stuck in Stereographic projection after using AR mode.

6.2.0

Aug 9, 2018

Thank you for using SkySafari Pro. We have some exciting new features and improvements in this release!

+ New Augmented Reality (AR) mode available when using the compass. AR blends a simulated sky chart of your sky with a real view of your surroundings, captured from your device's camera. AR mode makes it even easier to find your favorite planets, stars, and constellations. Requires iOS 10+.+ Added support for latest iOptron firmware.+ Improved accuracy of Telescope GoTos when talking to StarSense hand controller.+ Corrected issue where you could resize the H-R Diagram rectangle so it was inside-out, making it invisible..+ Corrected issue where in some cases you could't scroll the object info on iPad to see the last line or two.+ Various performance and stability improvements.

Some pointers on using Augmented Reality mode in SkySafari:

To use AR in SkySafari, first activate the compass by either tapping the icon in the toolbar or simply tilting your device up to the sky. A small AR icon appears above the toolbar, near the bottom of the screen. Tap the AR icon to turn on your device's camera. If this is the first time you've used AR, your device will ask for your permission to use the camera. To turn off AR mode, tap the AR icon again. When AR is active, the toolbar and on-screen buttons will be hidden.

During daylight hours, point your device's camera at an area of clear blue sky. SkySafari will fill that area with a star chart. At night, point your camera at a black sky area. SkySafari will attempt to draw the star chart only over the sky area, and not walls, buildings, trees, etc.

You can increase or decrease the amount of sky chart blending with the camera's video image by swiping up or down. At maximum blending, the star chart is drawn everywhere above the horizon, not just in clear sky areas.

You may find that the simulated objects in the sky chart don't quite line up correctly with the real objects shown by the camera. This is due to the inaccuracy inherent in your device's digital compass. To fix this problem, swipe the chart left-to-right. This way, you can align objects drawn in the chart with their images shown by the camera. The Moon is a great object to align on. The planets and brightest stars should also be visible in the camera and can be used for AR alignment.

6.1.2

Jun 4, 2018

Thank you for using SkySafari 6 Pro! In this update we left all the good stuff the same but now there's more of it! And ... huh ... we also killed a few bugs because we figure you'll have enough of those to deal with in the spring/summer.

What's new:

+ Optional Interactive H-R Diagram that displays where a star is in its evolutionary stage.+ Toolbar buttons no longer disappear after previewing a settings file.+ Onscreen highlighting of a list is now properly updated after an observation is deleted or an observing list is added or deleted to an observation.+ Numerous enhancements and performance fixes

6.0.5

May 3, 2018

- Fixed bug with not loading Spacecraft descriptions.- Fixed bug when connecting to a scope and you have less than 3 FOV indicators.- Fixed a few layout issues on the iPhone X.- Several minor tweaks and bug fixes.

6.0.4

Feb 16, 2018

- Added a 3D model of the Tesla Roadster which is shown when orbiting the object.- Toolbar no longer disappears in the main chart after viewing a SkyWeek chart.- Made a few changes for the app to work better with LiveSky.- For in app purchases, the "Purchased" button now says "Installed" if it is a downloadable purchase and the download is detected as installed.- Performance improvements when you have hundreds of observing lists or several thousand observations.- Fixed bug in downloading of single DSS images where they were not being properly saved for offline viewing.

6.0.3

Jan 22, 2018

- New toolbar customizations! Added ability to show/hide specific icons on the main tool bar. You can now show the Info & Center buttons on the main toolbar if you prefer that.- Fixed bug where predefined equipment would sometime show zeros for it values.- Fixed bug where observing lists would sometimes not display.- Fixed bug where the databases for the in-app purchase of the PGC extension and UCAC5 extension could disappear. If you think you don't have those databases, please Restore Purchases.

6.0.1

Jan 5, 2018

- Added Help topic on migrating data from SkySafari 5 to SkySafari 6.- Added entries in Help to take you to the Community Forums and to open a support request.- Eliminated initial delay when tapping on the zoom in/out buttons.- Improved responsiveness of on-screen slew buttons.- Improved the timing of Jupiter moon events in the Object Info.- Changed DSS download to use the first generation survey plates. The images are smaller and faster to download and they match the view in the eyepiece better.- Changed maximum DS cache size from 1 GB to 50 GB.- Fixed bug where the custom observing sites were not getting searched when you searched for a location in the Location settings.- Fixed bug where not all objects in a large (> 400 object) observing list would be re-highlighted when the app is restarted.- Fixed problem where the tick marks on the "Show Selected Object Path" path did not line up exactly with the correct time.- Fixed bug where some observing lists would get stuck showing "Fetching..."- Current scope RA/Dec is now initially shown in the GoTo RA/Dec panel.- Fixed crash that would happen if you saved a custom observing site with a zero length name.- Moved the UI for toggling backing up to the cloud servers to the Storage settings.- Fixed some Night Vision problems.- Various small UI changes and tweaks.

6.0.0

Dec 22, 2017

Dec 13, 2018

Version 6.3.0

• In the Observation screen you can now display the info for the object or center the object in the main chart.• In the Observations screen, we no longer show sessions without any observations. We also show the number of observations in sessions that do have observations.• When associating an observing list with an observation, we now show all observing lists rather than just those that contain the object. If the chosen list doesn't have that object in it, we give you the option to add it.• There is a new option in the Object Info's more button to show all observing lists containing the object.• In the Date/Time Picker dialog, there is now a "Now" button to set the date/time to the current time.• Improved resizing of H-R Diagram.• Various modifications for compatibility with soon to be released Starry Night 8.• Various stability and performance improvements.

Ratings and Reviews

4.8 out of 5

1.9K Ratings

1.9K Ratings

Astrosid
,01/01/2018

Useable, but with greater difficulty

This is an addendum to my previous review (revised) -

Upon further review I was able to use LiveSky to input all of my equipment. It is very different from SkySafari 5 Pro. So there is a learning curve that could be improved with a detailed user manual for SkySafari 6 Pro. While the new app is useable, I believe it is more cumbersome than Using SkySafari 5 Pro. However I am changing my star rating to 3 stars since everything seems to be working, although I find it more difficult to use than SkySafari 5 Pro. I will give it 5 stars after it becomes as easy to use as SkySafari 5 Pro.

Original Review - Unable to get my settings/equipment from SkySafari 5 pro. Tried the method given to a previous reviewer and after selecting share from SkySafari 5, there was no SkySafari 6 in the list to share to. Then I tried to add my equipment manually like with Safari 5 pro and could not find an option in the settings to do so. I thought maybe it was a bad install or something but it was the same on both my iPad 2017, and my iPhone 6. I joined LiveSky thinking I might be able to accomplish some of the above tasks and was able to input one of my telescopes. After that it it only listed that telescope as a recent telescope and no further option to add other equipment. I apologize if I have missed some important information on this, however, I am very disgruntled to think I just paid $20 to be a beta tester of this app.

Astrosid
,01/01/2018

Useable, but with greater difficulty

This is an addendum to my previous review (revised) -

Upon further review I was able to use LiveSky to input all of my equipment. It is very different from SkySafari 5 Pro. So there is a learning curve that could be improved with a detailed user manual for SkySafari 6 Pro. While the new app is useable, I believe it is more cumbersome than Using SkySafari 5 Pro. However I am changing my star rating to 3 stars since everything seems to be working, although I find it more difficult to use than SkySafari 5 Pro. I will give it 5 stars after it becomes as easy to use as SkySafari 5 Pro.

Original Review - Unable to get my settings/equipment from SkySafari 5 pro. Tried the method given to a previous reviewer and after selecting share from SkySafari 5, there was no SkySafari 6 in the list to share to. Then I tried to add my equipment manually like with Safari 5 pro and could not find an option in the settings to do so. I thought maybe it was a bad install or something but it was the same on both my iPad 2017, and my iPhone 6. I joined LiveSky thinking I might be able to accomplish some of the above tasks and was able to input one of my telescopes. After that it it only listed that telescope as a recent telescope and no further option to add other equipment. I apologize if I have missed some important information on this, however, I am very disgruntled to think I just paid $20 to be a beta tester of this app.

machutch280
,10/10/2018

Increadible

I’m using this app to control a Celestron 8” EdgeHD on an AVX German Equatorial Mount. The Network interface is via Celestron’s SkyPortal WiFi adapter.

This app is a huge improvement over Celestron’s own hand controller. The alignment is process is faster, and the tracking accuracy has been excellent. The app has improved my entire astronomical experience with a wealth of data and having the ability to customize the “scope display” using the exact specifications of my gear. This is also great for simulating the FoV of various eyepieces and imaging equipment for possible future purchases, and for planning imaging session dates & times. The telescope controls are smooth and everything works great. I can certainly tell that some serious effort has been put into this app.

The only changes I could suggest would be to enlarge the telescope directional buttons. With a hand controller, you can feel the buttons physically, and it’s easier to direct the scope without having to come off the eyepiece to look at the hand controller. Having these controls on screen makes it a little more difficult to make small finely-tuned adjustments.

machutch280
,10/10/2018

Increadible

I’m using this app to control a Celestron 8” EdgeHD on an AVX German Equatorial Mount. The Network interface is via Celestron’s SkyPortal WiFi adapter.

This app is a huge improvement over Celestron’s own hand controller. The alignment is process is faster, and the tracking accuracy has been excellent. The app has improved my entire astronomical experience with a wealth of data and having the ability to customize the “scope display” using the exact specifications of my gear. This is also great for simulating the FoV of various eyepieces and imaging equipment for possible future purchases, and for planning imaging session dates & times. The telescope controls are smooth and everything works great. I can certainly tell that some serious effort has been put into this app.

The only changes I could suggest would be to enlarge the telescope directional buttons. With a hand controller, you can feel the buttons physically, and it’s easier to direct the scope without having to come off the eyepiece to look at the hand controller. Having these controls on screen makes it a little more difficult to make small finely-tuned adjustments.

PolynomialHierarchy
,01/06/2018

Alpha, maybe Beta - barely

Not happy. My first review was not posted because of bad language. Grow up, Apple.

Not ready for prime time. Hangs permanently when a data transfer to or from LiveSky loses a connection. To use SS6 Pro again I had to restart the phone. LiveSky site uses WebGL, so doesn’t do well with Safari. LiveSky site is not ready, and has serious updating issues. SS6 has slewing problems with Celestron NexStar Evolution WiFi, just like the predecessors, and you just have Celestron pointing fingers at SS, and SS pointing fingers at Celestron, just like before. Sky Safari 6 Pro needs a lot of attention. Looks like it won’t be ready for quite a while. The developers need a better release strategy, because this thing will ruin their reputation.

Developer Response
,04/09/2018

Sorry you are having problems. We believe we have corrected all the initial issues with Live Sky. Please post in out Community Forums if you are still having problems.

We would also like to know more about what problems you are having with the NexStar Evolution mounts. We are always working to make the product better.

PolynomialHierarchy
,01/06/2018

Alpha, maybe Beta - barely

Not happy. My first review was not posted because of bad language. Grow up, Apple.

Not ready for prime time. Hangs permanently when a data transfer to or from LiveSky loses a connection. To use SS6 Pro again I had to restart the phone. LiveSky site uses WebGL, so doesn’t do well with Safari. LiveSky site is not ready, and has serious updating issues. SS6 has slewing problems with Celestron NexStar Evolution WiFi, just like the predecessors, and you just have Celestron pointing fingers at SS, and SS pointing fingers at Celestron, just like before. Sky Safari 6 Pro needs a lot of attention. Looks like it won’t be ready for quite a while. The developers need a better release strategy, because this thing will ruin their reputation.

Developer Response
,04/09/2018

Sorry you are having problems. We believe we have corrected all the initial issues with Live Sky. Please post in out Community Forums if you are still having problems.

We would also like to know more about what problems you are having with the NexStar Evolution mounts. We are always working to make the product better.